East Bay Express

Azin Seraj's Unsettling Art Vehemently Criticizes US Sanctions on Iran

Alex Bigman — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The artist presents a politically pointed exhibition about the effects of American economic policy on the people of her native Iran. by Alex Bigman Sublunar, Azin Seraj's debut solo exhibition now at Martina } { Johnston Gallery, is one of the more overtly political exhibitions you will find in Berkeley presently. The artist, who holds citizenship in Iran and Canada, presents a vehement counter-narrative to the Obama administration's rhetoric around placing escalating economic sanctions on Iran.…

Keeping Jazz Real

Lou Fancher — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Jazz pianist Benny Green draws from the masters to inspire his hard-bopping originals. by Lou Fancher Hot off the 55th Monterey Jazz Festival's grueling North American tour — 40 cities in 23 states — jazz pianist Benny Green is back in his Berkeley home for barely more than a pit stop. On the heels of releasing his self-produced album, Magic Beans, Green is generating gigs for his Benny Green Trio, with tour dates in Japan and the United States, plus recording a new album of original tunes in Santa Cruz — all before playing four shows at Yoshi's in Oakland on June 27 and 28.…

Frameline37

Kelly Vance — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Ordinary people. by Kelly Vance Other film festivals whisk us to faraway places and introduce us to unusual folks we'd otherwise never meet. Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, is different.…

Jerry Brown's Assault on Transparency

Robert Gammon — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The governor and state legislative leaders struck a backroom deal to eviscerate portions of California's public records law. Plus, Big Oil and Gas defeat fracking bills. by Robert Gammon When he was mayor of Oakland, Jerry Brown was never a fan of transparency and openness in government. He made a habit of blocking access to public records back then, and his staff destroyed reams of public documents before he left City Hall in late 2006.…

Martin Sorrondeguy: An Ambassador of Punk

Sam Lefebvre — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The founder of two of punk's most vital, confrontational bands, Los Crudos and Limp Wrist, Martin Sorrondeguy's legacy transcends even his music. by Sam Lefebvre The hallway at the San Francisco headquarters of 'zine Maximum Rocknroll (MRR) is flanked with more than 40,000 records from underground punk bands. It leads to a patio where touring bands are often found barbecuing, drinking, and sharing stories from the road.…

Palms

Kathleen Richards — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Palms by Kathleen Richards Palms is the new project from Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno and three former members of ISIS. And it sounds exactly as you'd imagine.…

High Times at Craneway Pavilion

David Downs — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The Medical Cannabis Cup is coming to Richmond this weekend and will feature a concert, industry expo, a county fair-like weed competition, and a giant medication area. by David Downs A concert by GZA, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan, plus the presence of a huge Ferris wheel are just two indications that the Bay Area's premier cannabis event will reach new heights this weekend. Somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 people are expected to attend the fourth annual High Times Medical Cannabis Cup San Francisco at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond on June 22 and 23, and organizers say that despite the ongoing federal crackdown, ticket sales are very strong and the event is bigger and better than ever.…

Ready. Aim. Dodge.

Azeen Ghorayshi — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The Recreational Adult Dodgeball league is serious about its commitment to dodgeball, and cold brews. by Azeen Ghorayshi Adam Howe loves organized sports: the sweat, the complexity of the team dynamic, and the competitive atmosphere. Best of all, however, the Pyramid Alehouse general manager loves grabbing a beer after all that is over.…

Letters for the Week of June 19, 2013

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Readers sound off on ferrets, Wikileaks, and the drug war. "Different Pets for Different Folks," The Pets Issue, 6/5 Get a Rescue Rat…

Rivers in Peril

Robert Gammon — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

How Jerry Brown's plan to build two giant water tunnels, along with legislation in Congress, could ultimately spoil the last of Northern California's wild and scenic rivers. by Robert Gammon California is blessed with some of the most beautiful rivers in North America, and none is more breathtaking than the Merced. From its headwaters in Yosemite National Park, the river gradually grows larger before it cascades over two world-famous waterfalls — Nevada and Vernal — and then flows past El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite Valley.…

At Oakland's Hutch, Southern-Style Grits Are King

Luke Tsai — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Plus Grease Box lands a brick-and-mortar home in Temescal, The Star gears up to open in the Grand Lake neighborhood, and more. by Luke Tsai When chef David King surveyed the Bay Area restaurant scene, he was blown away by how many restaurants were serving classed-up versions of mac 'n' cheese — mac 'n' cheese with shaved truffles, mac 'n' cheese with lobster, mac 'n' cheese with obscure and non-traditional cheeses. In Oakland, there's even an entire restaurant, Homeroom, dedicated to variations on a theme of elbow-pasta-in-creamy-sauce.…

Quickly Reshaping Oakland Politics

J. Douglas Allen-Taylor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The city plans to redraw council district and school board boundary lines in the next few months in ways that could remake Oakland's political landscape. by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor The City of Oakland is pushing forward with a plan to redraw city council district and school board boundary lines in a move that has the potential to dramatically reshape politics in the city. And because of a December 31 deadline to complete the redistricting, along with little public notice so far about the proposed plans, citizens may have a limited ability over the next several months to provide adequate input in the process.…

Oakland Nail Polish Company Floss Gloss Capitalizes on the Nail Art Phenomenon

Cassie McFadden — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

How two color-obsessed CCA graduates turned their passion for nail polish into a profitable pursuit. by Cassie McFadden The first thing you might notice about Aretha Sack — apart from her tattoos and prodigiously blond, wavy, and long hair — are her fingernails, which on any given occasion are painted some shade of lime green, coral, or other eye-catching hues. The 25-year-old Oakland resident dresses up her digits daily, and has done so everywhere from BART stations to the Legion of Honor.…

Corrections for the Week of June 19

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Natasha Loewy's home state, Lillian Maring's new album, and Primal's policies. Corrections Our June 12 music story "Grass Widow's Chameleon" misquoted Lillian Maring regarding the details of her partner's death and the gear she used to record her album.…

The Mantles

Sam Lefebvre — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Long Enough to Leave by Sam Lefebvre Michael Olivares and Virginia Weatherby started The Mantles in 2007 on a whim. Since then, the band has retained its casualness and has never been in a hurry to release new material.…

Mayonnaise

Dan Savage — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Plus a gay stereotype and a tentative devotee. by Dan Savage I'm a straight guy in my early thirties with an amazing girlfriend of two years. A few months ago, I felt open enough to share my taboo fantasy: father/daughter incest.…

Sucking Up Every Bit of Marrow

Luke Tsai — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The Oakland sandwich shop showcases whole-animal cookery to outstanding effect. by Luke Tsai At Marrow, the latest meat-centric sandwich shop to open in Oakland, there's a big stack of books on the counter about nose-to-tail eating and the finer points of how to butcher a cow — volumes whose titles read like some incantation or a recipe for witch's brew: Odd Bits. Fat.…

Surfer Blood

Ellen Cushing — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Pythons by Ellen Cushing Suffice it to say a lot has changed for Surfer Blood since the Florida four-tet's widely praised 2009 debut, Astro Coast. There was the sudden fame that record brought, of course, and the consequent deal with Warner Bros. and well-received tour.…

AC Transit Board Member Joel Young May Have Profited from His Official Duties

Steven Tavares — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

A hard-hitting internal report found that he may have used confidential information from the transit agency to benefit himself and his private employer. by Steven Tavares and Robert Gammon AC Transit board member Joel Young may have used confidential legal information that he received from the transit district for his own personal gain and for that of his private employer, according to a hard-hitting report released last week. Young, an attorney and former state Assembly candidate, also violated AC Transit rules regarding the use of public agency resources for personal gain and may have run afoul of state law, the report stated.…

One-Night Stands

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Repertory film listings for June 20-26, 2013. Thursday, June 20 Cabaret (124 min., 1972).…

The Grease Box Lands a Brick-and-Mortar Home

Luke Tsai — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:00:00 -0700

Great news for fans of The Grease Box Mobile Kitchen’s amazingly good fried chicken and other gluten-free goodies: Owner Lizzy Boelter told What the Fork that she just signed the papers for a brick-and-mortar space in Oakland’s Temescal district. It'll be a quick turnaround: Boelter hopes the restaurant will be ready to open, after a slight remodel, sometime in mid-July.

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A Better Way to Get Answers from the City

Vanessa Rancaño — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:40:00 -0700

Anyone who’s tried to use the City of Oakland’s website knows it's something like this clip from 1986's Labyrinth, in which Jennifer Connelly seeks answers from a senile Muppet who speaks entirely in ridiculous platitudes and non sequiturs: The search function is basically useless and information isn’t organized intuitively for layfolk.

Enter Oakland Answers, a new website dedicated to answering citizen’s questions about city services.…

Time Magazine: The Drug War Is Blocking Cancer, Alzheimer's Treatments

David Downs — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:04:00 -0700

Kudos to Time magazine for leading the pack of mainstream journalists questioning why politics trumps science in drug policy. Friday, Time's excellent Maia Szalavitz posted that "potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and many other illnesses are being blocked by anti-drug laws."

That opinion comes from a new editorial review published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, wherein lead author David Nutt — chair of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London — and his colleagues argue the drug war is "hindering progress in neuroscience and deterring drug companies from pursuing important leads in major disorders affecting millions of patients."

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At Oakland's Hutch, Southern-Style Grits Are King

Luke Tsai — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:00:00 -0700

When chef David King surveyed the Bay Area restaurant scene, he was blown away by how many restaurants were serving classed-up versions of mac ’n’ cheese — mac ’n’ cheese with shaved truffles, mac ’n’ cheese with lobster, mac ’n’ cheese with obscure and non-traditional cheeses. In Oakland, there was even an entire restaurant, Homeroom, dedicated to variations on a theme of elbow-pasta-in-creamy-sauce.

King, a native of Memphis, Tennessee — where mac ’n’ cheese is liked well enough — couldn’t help thinking that not enough love was being given to another staple of the American South: grits.…

Tuesday Must Reads: Oakland Goes Green to Fight Crime; State to Nearly Triple the Number of Refinery Inspectors

Robert Gammon — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:51:00 -0700

Stories you shouldn’t miss:

1. Oakland has begun to replace all 30,000 streetlights in the city with energy-efficient LED bulbs that also could help lower the city’s crime rate because they improve nighttime visibility, the Chron$ reports.…